Improvement in water-wheels



tiene para cfm Letters Patent No. l112.202. dated February 28, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, LARNARD `M. WRIGHT, of Fort Edward, county y -zthe lower plate ofthe reservoir or flume T.

of' Washington and State of New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Tater-Wheels, of lwhich the following is a specification.

4The nature of my invent-ion vis the constructing a turbine-water-wheel without a gate and still having lall the benefits of a gate; and also the substitute for a gate, which' is the disk of' the wheel, being coinpletcly. balanced by Water-pressure, and thus requiring only a Ismall amount of power to openor close the gate or let on or shut off' the water.

' Description 0 f Accompanying Drawing.

Figure v1 is an elevation through-the axis of a wheel embracing.my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan for the lowerstep:

Figure?) show s "th'e lower part ofthe reservoir.

Ali'gure'lt'shows top of reservoir and box for'top of shaft, and apparatus for moving gate to -letjon orshut o water. i

Figure is a plan of the buckets and guide-curves.

General Description.

A is the shaft 0f the wheel. B is the `pipe surrounding the shaft. G isthe disk of the wheel, attached to the pipe by a screw or by bolts.

W are the guide-curves, firmly attached to the disk. Y vis. a concentric ring attached to the upper edges of the guide-curves.

E is a circular plate bolted to the Bange on the pipe B. v

D is the bed-plate of the wheel, with its hub fitted to the shaft A and its llower crown of the wheel, into which the lov'ver edges of the buckets X are set.

D is the upper crown of the wheel, into which the upper edges of the buckets X aresct.

F is an internal screw fitted to an external screw `on thefupper end of the pipe B, held in place by J and L, and is made to revolve by the cog-wheel G.

G is a cog-wheel fitted to the internal screw F. `H is a pinion, working with the cog-wheel G.

I isa shaft for the pinion H, the shaft having a hand-wheel on the upper end.

J is'the upper journal-boxV for the shaft A,'with its boxes K K K K.

L is' a cross-head or beam.

M is the upper part of the reservoir or flume, having a circular opening close-fitted to the plate E, and to which the cros`s-head L is bolted.

N N N are boxes of hardwood or metal, tted to and held by the adjustable holders O O O.

P is a hard-wood step, held by the adjustable plate R lS is the bed-plate or spider on which the whole wheel rests.

Q Q Q are posts connecting the lower spider Swith U is the sides ofthe reservoir or fiume.

I Operation.

The pipe B, circular plate E, and disk that the-disk at its outer diameter on'its upper snrl'ace may be on a plane with the lower crown I) of the -bedplate of the Wheel on its upper side, or may be moved in like manner by turning the wheelGin the opposite direction, so'that the same place ou the disk may be on a plane with thelower side ofthe upper crown D', which position will bring the disk to'touch the lower edge ofthe concentric flange on T, which will prevent the passage of water through the wheel, thus forming a perfect gate by moving the parts of the wheel described,`as held in position by F, so as to open or close the passage for water.

The circular plate-E is of a larger diameter than the disk, s uficient to balance, by the additional upward pressure of water, the weight of water in the reservoir, and theweight of the pipe B and the disk C with their attachments.

The circular plate E, 'which is held from revolving by the plate M M, is fitted with water-tight packing at VV.

By thus dispensing with a gate, the outer diameter of the guide-curves W can be nearly as large in diameter as the inside edges of the' b uckets X, thus delivering the water direct from the guide-curves to the buckets without passing a wide space, having no gnidecurves to direct it, as must always be' the case when there is a gate between them. mode of construction gives a higher pcrcentageof eliicicncy. 1

The projecting cylindrical part of the disk G, which, when the water-passage is widest, is within andclosely tting the cylindrical part of .the bed-plate D,serves to prevent the4 water-from taking'any other course' except that of passing directly through the wheel 'when the water-passage is partially open.

The plate R is for holding the step P, and for setting .the wheel higher or lower bythe set-screws -r yr 1',

as may be required from time to time.

The plates or holders O O O are for adjustingthe wheel laterally, and when moved by the set-screws a a a, and when set in the right position,'are securely clamped and held by the bolts b b b.

Claim.

I claim as my invention-e I1. The combination of the pipe B with the circular plate E, so as to make the upward pressure of water C, with-its guide-curves W and concentric -ring Y,-being all con nected, and forming one piece, and depending on' the internal screw F for their position, may be moved so Therefore this on the plate E equal to the pressure downwardou the disk, added to the weight of the pipe B, disk C, plate E, and their attachments, which are moved by the screw F.

2. The combination of the Gross-head L with the iut-ernal screw F and the' upper box J, as and for the purposes set forth. l A 8. The arrangement of the boxes P and N N N with the holders R andrO,`as and for the purpose described.

4. The cylindrical part of the disk on its outer diameter, and fitting within the bed plated), as and fory Witnesses:

A. M. OLEMENTS, J. K. PIXLEY. 

